Writing My Own Magnificat

Adela Lemańska tells how she and 24 other women from Poland met the Lord (and wrote a book about it).

My newborn baby was asleep, and his 16-month-old brother was with Granny. I could finally pray. I read Mary's Magnificat and was struck by the words, “He who is mighty has done great things for me.” Oh, yes, perfectly true. He's done great things for me, too! He sent me to South Africa and Ethiopia where I could spread His Word and receive new houses, brothers, sisters, and children. He worked through my weakness in youth ministry. He gave me two wonderful baby boys, and He changed my frustration at sacrifices for the sake of the kids into an exciting project of ministering to moms in my parish.

I continued to make a list of great things in my mind and thought: why not write my own Magnificat? I opened a text editor and wrote down the first story of how God showed up in my life. In the next weeks, I wrote a dozen more stories.

Several months earlier, I had started a Bible sharing group for moms in my parish. While I was looking for materials to help me lead the meetings, I discovered that there were no books written in Polish by lay women that linked everyday life to the Word of God. I'd been looking for something deep, but at the same time easy to relate to, not theological or historical commentary, but rather a testimony on how the Word of God works in our lives (something like The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion by Lisa Hendey and Sarah Reinhard.

As I had not found a book that could lead us in our meetings, we followed the Sunday readings. But then, after saving a couple of pages in my files, it dawned on me: have I started writing the book I had been looking for? And what if I'm not the only one in need of it?

Adela Lemańska shares how she followed the Holy Spirit's lead to create a bible resource in her native Polish #catholicmom

For several weeks I tried to ignore the voice of the Holy Spirit telling me to write this book (and my husband's voice, “Haven't you started writing this book yet?”). I thought, “Come on, we've got a newborn at home!” I kept repeating, “Hey, I've already written what I had to write, and it will not make a book!” But one evening, the Holy Spirit told me plainly, “Yes, you're right. You're not able to write this book on your own. I'll do it through your weakness.” I came to understand that I was not to write it alone; I had to invite other women to complete this work with me.

In the next months, I met dozens of wonderful women who lived the Word of God and were eager to share their faith. First, I contacted friends who cherished the Word and were gifted in writing. Then a friend in charge of the Christian Life Community, a Jesuit community that promotes meditating on the Word and finding God in everything, suggested that I invite their women members to join the project. I went on to invite some journalists from the Polish Catholic websites. Then, I installed Instagram on my mobile to find out that there are people who post not only about their morning coffee but about their intimate relationships with Jesus!

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I met all of my authors in person or through a video call, and I became friends with many. The most stunning moments of the project were when I opened contributors' texts and read amazing stories about how God had worked in their lives. God showing Himself as snow in the middle of spring during a fourth Caesarian section. The image of God found in a daisy and in a hug offered to a homeless man. God intervening just in time to provide a house for a growing family. The presence of the Lord, felt deeply at the bedside of a mother dying from cancer. A consolation of the Spirit in the dark time of depression. I felt so unworthy and at the same time extremely blessed to be offered a glimpse into so many intimate moments of God's presence.

Because it wasn't really my idea to write this book, I didn't worry a single moment about finding a publisher. I knew it was the Holy Spirit's work, so I just told Him to take care of publishing His own book. And He did. In the beginning of June 2022, Spotkałyśmy Pana. Jego Słowo w nas żyje (We've Met the Lord. His Word Lives in Us) was published by Wydawnictwo Św. Wojciecha (Saint Adalbert Publishing House) in Poland. My advice is simple: say “yes” to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and He will bless you in ways you can't even imagine!

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About the author: Adela Lemańska is a wife, mother, Comboni Lay Missionary, and author. Together with her husband, she spent 4.5 years in South Africa and Ethiopia and wrote a book about people with visual impairment in South Africa. She is the author of Spotkałyśmy Pana. Jego Słowo w nas żyje (We've Met the Lord. His Word Lives in Us). Adela leads a Bible sharing group for women and inspires other women to start women’s Bible groups.